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Electric barbecue vs charcoal

Updated: 23 October 2026

You already own a kettle, the ash is in the shed, and a plug-in grill looks like the same supper without the mess. Electric barbecue vs charcoal is really a question about where the smoke comes from. Fat on hot coals tastes one way. An element under a plate tastes another, unless the appliance has a pellet box or a smoke accessory you actually fit. This page is that trade-off for the six listings in our [electric barbecue comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-barbecue). We did not taste the food. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own a kettle, the ash is in the shed, and a plug-in grill looks like the same supper without the mess. Electric barbecue vs charcoal is really a question about where the smoke comes from.

Our top picks

Weber Weber Lumin Compact

Best overall

Weber Weber Lumin Compact
6.4/10about £271.81
View offer
Ninja Ninja OG701UK

Rank 2

Ninja Ninja OG701UK
8.6/10about £259.99
View offer
Mihoho Mihoho LXL12814

Alternative

Mihoho Mihoho LXL12814
4.0/10about £37.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Where the smoke comes from
  2. 2.What these listings can smoke
  3. 3.Mess, weather and attention
  4. 4.When charcoal still wins

Where the smoke comes from

Charcoal flavour, in the account Which? gave when it compared charcoal with gas, comes largely from fat hitting the fuel and turning to smoke. The Guardian’s June 2026 filter makes the same point: drips hit the coals on a kettle, and a plain element does not offer that surface. They call ordinary electric close to a hot plate, with the Ninja Woodfire’s smoke box as the exception. An element can still brown food and leave grill lines. It does not, by itself, reproduce drip-smoke from a charcoal bed. Wood pellets are a third fuel. They smoulder in a box so the cooker can add wood smoke while the element does the heat. If your electric barbecue has no box and no smoke accessory, expect grill heat and a cleaner patio, and stop expecting a kettle.

What these listings can smoke

Only the Ninja OG701UK includes a pellet starter pack and an integrated smoker box. UK reviews often like that flavour and still do not call it charcoal. BBC Good Food found smoke and grill lines on a Woodfire and still missed a classic char. Light the pellets in the manual’s order, not once the grill is already hot. The Weber Lumin bullet names smoking. The Compact says smoke may need an accessory sold separately, so cast-iron heat can arrive with no wood in the carton. The Mihoho, Gobanwei and Luqixcey have no pellet box. Their water tray catches fat and cuts smoke, the opposite of a charcoal bed. Which model is evidenced is on the best electric barbecue page.
Weber Weber Lumin Compact

Testsieger

Weber Weber Lumin Compact
6.4/10about £271.81
View offer

Mess, weather and attention

Charcoal asks for a bag, a light, a wait, and a metal bin for cold ash. Electric asks for a lead and a socket that can take the load. UK reviews on the Ninja often mention less mess than charcoal, which is fair for ash and incomplete once you count pellet dust and tar. A table at £29.99 to £39.98 removes the ash and also removes the smoke you may have wanted. You cannot tuck a Ninja or a Weber into the kitchen because it has started to rain. Both makers say outdoors. A table needs watching so the tray does not run dry. Less ash is not a cooker you can leave.

When charcoal still wins

Keep the kettle if drip-on-coals taste is the point of the meal. An electric grill, even with a smoke box, does not fully replace that char. Only the Ninja arrives with pellets. The Compact’s smoke function is an accessory. If ash and a midweek wait are why you stopped, the top pick here is the Ninja, and it is a poor swap if you wanted the flavour unchanged. A Weber is the cast-iron alternative when grate heat matters more than wood. A £30 table is the swap only if you have accepted a hot plate. Do not choose electric because it is simply safer. Fat still burns. How to run the one you buy is on how to use an electric barbecue.

Common questions

Will food taste of charcoal?
Not from an element alone. Charcoal taste, as Which? and the Guardian describe it, comes from fat hitting hot fuel. A Ninja with pellets adds wood smoke, and UK reviews still separate that taste from a kettle. We have not run a taste test of our own.
Do wood pellets count as a real barbecue?
They count as a wood-smoke cook on an electric grill, which is what the Ninja’s box is for. They are not charcoal, and they are not a flavour you get from every electric barbecue. If the pellets fail to light once the grill is hot, BBC Good Food says you have left it too late.
Is electric less mess?
You avoid ash and lighter fluid. You do not avoid grease, and on the Ninja you add pellet dust and tar. Less mess than a kettle is a fair comment. No mess is not.
Which listing in this set actually smokes?
The Ninja is the one with an integrated smoker box and a pellet starter pack. The Weber Lumin bullet names smoking. The Compact says smoke may need accessories sold separately. The three tables have no wood fuel. Their trays reduce smoke from fat.
Can I still get grill marks?
Yes, if the grate or the ridged plate is hot and the food is dry enough to sear. BBC Good Food reported grill lines from a Ninja Woodfire alongside the smoke. Marks are a contact pattern. They are not charcoal flavour.
What do I lose if I sell the kettle?
You lose the drip-on-coals flavour and the ability to cook without a socket. You also lose the ash. A Ninja adds a pellet box, pellets, tar and a lead. A £30 table loses the smoke on purpose. The water tray is designed to cut it.
Is electric safer than charcoal on flavour grounds alone?
Flavour does not decide safety. An element can still flame if oil sits on it, which UK reviews describe on the cheap tables. A pellet cooker can still put fumes under a cover, including carbon monoxide. Charcoal has embers and ash. Follow the manual and the socket for the hazard.

Related pages

Electric barbecue on a balcony

Electric barbecue

Best electric barbecue UK: which listing is evidenced

Electric barbecue buying guide: type, plug and place

How to use an electric barbecue: tray, RCD and lead

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. IEC 60335-2-78:2021, outdoor barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Ninja OG701UK instructions (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. SharkNinja UK: OG701UK tech specs (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Weber UK: Lumin electric barbecue 92010974 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Electrical Safety First: regulation 411.3.3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)